You can’t make trades like that in the import draft anymore, but the Knights still mine blue-chippers in countries fiercely protective of their budding talent.

“Finland is a proud hockey nation and they want their best young players developing in their own system and playing in the Elite league,” said Sami Hoffren, a Toronto-based reporter who covers hockey for the Finnish national newspaper Ilta-Sanomat. “It’s a big concern. The London Knights are the exception. Everybody knows in Finland that’s the top organization in the CHL and (current Penguin) Olli Maatta was one of the first in many years to make it.

“Since him, people realize (London) is the real deal.”

One of the bigger reasons for the Knights’ sustained success is their recent performance in overseas recruitment. The organization still, though, views the wooing of European teens as a massive risk.

“You’re taking chances all the time,” London GM Rob Simpson said. “You spend time talking to the agent and the kid. Olli had reconstructive knee surgery the year (the Knights picked him 45th overall). He was kind of off the radar, but we had notes on him from the year prior. If he wasn’t ready to come, you might have wasted a pick.”

At the time, the Knights were acutely aware of swinging and missing on game-changing players. They took American star rearguard Zach Werenski in the second round of the 2013 OHL draft and he chose University of Michigan instead.

A year later the Knights used their top pick on Max Jones. He delayed his arrival by a season to play in the USA Hockey’s elite program. Now he’s out of action and sporting a cast on his left arm.

But Juolevi committed in short order and put together one of the best seasons by a player, period, with world junior gold on home ice, the Memorial Cup win in Red Deer and a top-five selection by the Canucks in the NHL draft.

The Knights doubled down this summer by picking the 18-year-old Kuokkanen, Juolevi’s friend.

“We knew Janne was (a second rounder by the Hurricanes) and there was potential,” Simpson said, “but a lot of it was that Olli Juolevi knew him. We thought that connection there over time might get Janne to come here.”

Juolevi went straight to the sales pitch. Kuokkanen’s pro team Oulun Karpat, the only team in the Elite league that travels to road games by plane, went through big changes, including a new coach.

The Knights, under Hunter rule, have pretty much the same coach for the last 15 years.

“Of course, I told him this a great place, and it’s awesome Janne came here,” the 18-year-old from Helsinki said. “But here, it’s not just me and Janne. It’s us, Victor (Mete) and (Max Jones), guys from our end of the city hanging out (away from the rink). We don’t speak (much) Finnish (in the dressing room). I’m trying to speak more English (to help Kuokkanen adapt).”

Kuokkanen, mostly a centre in minor hockey, has quickly become the club’s top-line right winger. He’s second on the club in scoring behind Cliff Pu.

“Great team and everything is working well, so I’m happy,” he said. “I like my linemates. They see me well.”

Both Finns are locks to play on the defending world junior gold medalists in Montreal this month. In Canada, no one appreciates what last year’s victory meant to that country.

“Ten years from now, people will look at that (2016) tournament as a turning point for Finnish hockey,” Hoffren said. “For world championships, it’s way too expensive to go to Team Finland’s games. But for the juniors, young families could get tickets and kids watched it. It was super popular and the biggest tournament in Finnish hockey, probably ever. It was like the perfect storm. They had good, young players and they won.”

Patrik Laine, the Jets sniper, has already become one of the biggest names in Finnish sport, right up there with Formula 1 star Kimi Raikkonen and Jesse Puljujarvi of the Oilers.

Juolevi is in the shadows, which is perfectly fine to him at this point. He understands what will happen when he is in Vancouver.

“Of course, I want to be one of those guys also, but one of the reasons I came here (to London) is I wouldn’t have to do media all the time. Everyone’s not watching me all the time (like at home),” he said. “They’re watching those two guys (in the NHL) so much more.”

The world juniors is his showcase. He is expected to be one of the best d-men in the tournament. Kuokkanen should be a top-six option up front.

“It’s the biggest thing this year for me if I can go there and play,” he said. “I would like to win it and be the best in the world. (Olli) spoke to me about that feeling after the gold-medal game.”